Urinary excretion of prostaglandins (PGE2 and PGF2 alpha) and kallikrein in acute glomerulonephritis.

We studied prostaglandins and kallikrein urinary excretion in 14 children with acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis within 48 hours of hospital admission (period A), and again, 4-6 weeks later, when they were clinically recovered (period B). Seventeen apparently healthy children were studied as controls. The results (mean +/- SEM) indicate that PGE2 urinary excretion (ng/kg/day) was diminished during both periods of study (control group = 2.06 +/- 0.43, patients = period A 0.91 +/- 0.28 [P less than 0.02], period B 0.92 +/- 0.21 [P less than 0.02]). PGF2 alpha urinary excretion (ng/kg/day) was also suppressed during period A, but not during period B when large individual variability existed (control group = 7.10 +/- 1.07, patients period A 3.56 +/- 0.66 [P less than 0.001], period B 10.51 +/- 5.01 [NS]). Kallikrein urinary excretion (EU/kg/day) was also depressed during the acute phase and remained low during convalescence (control group = 0.492 +/- 0.1, patients period A 0.143 +/- 0.044 [P less than 0.001], period B 0.265 +/- 0.093 [P less than 0.02]). There was no difference in PGE/PGF ratio between controls and patients in the periods of study (control 0.328 +/- 0.055, period A 0.395 +/- 0.144, period B 0.384 +/- 0.128). Urine volume (ml/day) was lower in period A (582 +/- 75.8) but comparable in period B (1020 +/- 140.2) and control children (1210 +/- 80.2). No correlation could be found between the urinary excretion of PGE2, PGF2 alpha and kallikrein with any of the following parameters: urinary or serum sodium and potassium, serum or urinary osmolality, Cosm, urine flow, plasma renin activity, plasma or urinary aldosterone, hypertension or fluid retention.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)